GEORGE TOWN: This Chinese New Year, not every lion will roar with towering might – some will steal the show with pint-sized paws and irresistible charm.
If you spot a tiny lion bouncing across the stage, chances are there are two children inside. And they might just be 10-year-old twins Ooi Bo Wei and Ooi Bo Ze.
The non-identical twins – a girl and a boy – move as one lion, leaping and bowing in perfect sync.
Their father, sales executive Ooi Chee Keong, 42, has been a lion dancer for 33 years and is now passing on the pride of the tradition to his children.
“I started them when they were three,” he said at the Penang Hong Guan Culture Association’s lion eye-dotting ceremony here.
“Some parents choose sports or music. I want my children to become professional lion dancers because this is a dying art.”
The twins train five times a week, practising at home under their father’s watchful eye and joining group sessions.
“They love it. They’re always asking to learn new moves,” said Chee Keong.
“They’re excited about performing on stilts but that takes time. Lion dance is about strength and that’s what they’re building now.”
Across the hall, another miniature lion springs to life – this one powered in part by nine-year-old Quah Mei Xin.
Her father, technician Quah Zi Wei, 30, beams as he watches her rehearse.
“I’m a lion dancer and I used to bring her to watch practices. She started with the drums, then quickly wanted to dance as well,” he said.
For Zi Wei, lion dance has become more than tradition – it is a treasured father-daughter time.
“We’ve performed together many times,” he said, adding that his son has shown no interest to follow in their footsteps.
Penang Hong Guan Culture Association lion dance troupe leader Law Choon Lim, 34, said around 10 children under seven are currently learning the craft, with another class for those aged 10 to 12.
“Many are children of members who grow up watching rehearsals and eventually join in,” he said.
“We hope more parents will consider signing up their children to try. It’s a special traditional art.”
Addressing concerns that lion dance is risky or linked to unsavoury elements, Law was quick to reassure.
“It’s safe and we take precautions. We’re ordinary people who love performing,” he said.
His own seven-year-old daughter, Law Ruo Xin, has been learning since she was three.
“She loves it and I’m glad it lets her express herself, beyond gadgets and screens,” he said.
